Starting Your Year Off Right
Photo by Brigitte Tohm
The most important thing we could do in life is worship the Lord.
At any given moment, there is nothing more important than worshipping Him. We were made to worship Him—to give Him glory (Isa. 43:7).
Worship, however, can look like a lot of different things. Some of us hear the word worship, and we automatically assume it means doing “church” things. But actually, we worship Him by doing things with Him, wherever those things are found.
Yes, we obviously worship Him at church—but we also worship Him at the office, because we have set our hearts to work with Him. We worship Him by showing care and concern for our neighbor down the street. We can worship Him just by breathing, because our bodies are doing what He Himself set them up to do. There are millions upon millions of ways to worship the Lord. Worship is life.
So, as worship is the most important thing, it is the best thing we could do with our days. Let’s start the year off right—by setting our hearts to worship the Lord. Here are a few simple ways we can worship the One who made us.
1. Worship the Lord by Giving Him Your Fears
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” (Ps. 46:10 NIV)
What are you afraid of right now?
In this season, give the Lord your anxious thoughts and practice being still with Him. Crawl up onto His lap and stay there.
Rest helps us realize He is God. Rest shows us who He is more clearly, which is what all of us need right now, here at the beginning of 2021. God will be exalted among the nations. He will be exalted in the earth.
Journaling idea: Ask the Lord how you can give Him your fears and rest in Him today. What is one simple thing you can do?
2. Worship the Lord by Rejoicing in His Love
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. (Ps. 91:14 NIV)
Take those words and make them personal. Use the pronoun that fits you and imagine the Lord is speaking about you. “Because she loves me, I will rescue her. I will protect her because she acknowledges My name.”
Put your faith to work today, and choose to believe the love God has for you (1 John 4:16 NASB).
Journaling idea: What is the Lord saying to you about His love? Ask Him to tell you more about His love.
3. Worship the Lord by Trusting in His Character
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit. (Jer. 17:8 NLT)
We were made for the Lord, and when our roots are planted deep within Him, we don’t have to fear what the world fears. We know who He is, so we don’t have to be afraid in times of lack. We believe He will do everything He says He will do, so we no longer have to cower and tremble when things are hard.
Our hearts know what is real. He is our Father, and He watches over us with love and care.
Journaling idea: Ask God to give you a Scripture for your heart—something your heart needs to know. Write down that Scripture, and ask Him what it means for you, personally. Believe what He tells you.
Happy New Year! The Lord loves you, and He is with you. Even the simplest moments in your life, when you are doing very simple tasks, can be flooded with eternal worth—because of worship.
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Interested in reading more about dating, relationships, and your walk with God? Here are a few articles on related topics:
For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.